Cover construction for hopper cars



1954 J. 5. SWANN COVER CONSTRUCTION FOR HOPPER CARS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 4, 1951 Add/ZZZ,

Jan. 5, 1954 J, s. SWANN COVER CONSTRUCTION FOR HOPPER CARS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 4, 1951 INVENTOR. JCZ77Z615 L5 561/4272/2, BY

Patented Jan. 5, 1954 COVER CONSTRUCTION FOR HOPPER CARS James S. Swann, Homewood, Ill., assignor to Standard Railway Equipment Manufacturing Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application April 4, 1951, Serial No. 219,141

8 Claims.

7 1 This invention relates to improvements in hopper cars and has particular reference to an improved side plate section therefor which lends itself to the application thereto of a low cost roof for such cars, whereby such cars may be suitable for carrying many types of bulk lading not ordinarily carried in open hopper cars.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a much stronger side plate for such cars which eliminates the necessity of a hatch eaves sheet, and which side plate has an inner surface which forms a positioning means for the outer side of a hatch frame.

Such side plate is for use with a standard covered hopper car and provides a means for extending the side stakes practically to the top of the side plate, thereby reducing the unsupported span length. The side plate is formed with the outstanding leg or flange which, is cut away at the car side stakes and welded to the sides of said stakes, thus eliminating a weakness in the present Z -bar side plate.-

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description thereof.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing forming part of this application and wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

Fig. l is a top plan view of a portion of a hopper car roof showing the hatch frames in section and with the hatch covers removed.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 22, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3, Fig. 1.

The car underframe, not shown, is of ordinary construction and is provided with a side sill which supports the lower end of a plurality of spaced side stakes, as shown at i, which extend vertically, and each stake comprises a channel section having laterally extending flanges which are welded to the outer surfaces of the side sheathing 2. The improved side plate consists of substantially a rectangular hollow section comprising an outer flange 4, the lower margin of which is provided with an outturned reflange 5, which is cut away at the side stakes and welded to said stakes I, as at 6. The upper margin of said flange 4 is turned inwardly in the plane of the roof forming a web portion 1, the inner margin of which is turned downwardly forming an inner flange 8 extending in the plane of the outer wall 9 of the hatch frame, and the lower margin of which flange 8 is turned outwardly forming a reflange l extending to and welded, as at H, to the outer flange 4, between its upper and lower margins. Thus the side plate forms a box section, no two sides of which are parallel.

The hatch frame used in this instance oomprises four prefabricated side walls which are beveled at the corners and welded together to form the composite frame. Said frame comprises the outer wall 9, formed with the usual outwardly and downwardly turned flange 12 at the upper margin, and an outwardly turned flange l3 at the lower margin which rests upon and is welded to the web 1 of the side plate. The opposite inner wall It is of flat sheet material also having the usual outwardly and downwardly turned flange l5, identical with flange I2. The lower margin of this wall M extends below the plane of the roof, as shown most clearly in Fig. 2.

Ihe other two walls of the hatch frame are composed of sheet material pressed into Z-shape providing the web portions l6 which are disposed in the plane of the roof. The outer margins of said web portions are turned downwardly forming flanges H, and the inner margins of said web portions are turned upwardly forming the walls 13 which extend to the height of walls 9 and I4 and terminate in outwardly and downwardly turned flanges is, similar to flanges l2 and I5. At the corners of the hatch frames, the meeting edges are welded together, as at 20, thus forming the composite hatch frames.

An angle tie member 2i extends transversely of the roof above the plane thereof and the ends of said member 2| are secured by welding to the sides I8 of said frames to tie the same together. These angle members 2| also form supports for the car running board 22 between the hatch frames. Also below the roof similar angles 23 extend between the hatch frames, said angles 23 having one flange 24 horizontal and occurring substantially in the plane of webs It, with the ends of said angle 23 welded to the webs I6 and flanges l1. These two angle members thus tie the hatch frames together, and, when the sides 9 of said frames are welded to the tops 1 of the side plates, form an adequately strong structure across the car from side plate to side plate. It thereby becomes possible to use plain flat roof sheets, as indicated at 25, with just one bend transversely thereof at the center to conform to the ridge of the roof, and with the ends of said sheets 25 welded to tops *5 of the side plates, and the sides welded to webs l6 and flange 24. Between the hatch frames, transversely of the roof, a ridge roof sheet 26 is provided, shaped to conform with the remainder of the roof, flanged upwardly at opopsite sides, as at 2'1, and welded to sides i l of the hatch frames, with the opposite edges overlying flange 24 and abutting the edges of roof sheets 25 and welded thereto. Thus a very simple and inexpensive roof application is provided for covered hopper cars.

I claim:

1. In a railway car structure, spaced side posts, a side plate member comprising a main vertical portion secured to the upper margin of said side posts, an inwardly extending web portion the tops of said posts extending in substantially the plane of said web portion, a downwardly extending flange portion, and a reflange extending to and secured to the main portion, a hatch frame located adjacent said side plate member, a wall of said hatch frame having an outstanding flange resting upon and secured to said side plate web,

portion.

2. In a railway car structure, spaced side posts, a side plate member comprising a main vertical portion secured to the inner face of the upper margin of said side posts, an inwardly extending web portion extending in a plane of the car roof,

a downwardly extending flange portion, and a reflange extending to and secured to the main portion, a hatch frame located adjacent said side plate member, a wall of said hatch frame having an outstanding flange resting on and secured to said side plate Web portion, said wall occurring in the same plane as said downwardly extending I flange portion to form a continuation of said wall of said hatch frame.

3. In a railway car roof structure, spaced side plates, each having a substantially flat upper surface extending in a plane of the car roof, a

pair of hatch frames disposed one on each side of the ridge of the car roof, the walls of said hatch frames adjacent said side plates resting upon and secured to said flat upper surfaces, and structural members extending transversely of said roof secured to the sides of said hatch frames below the ridge portion of the roof.

4. In a railway car roof structure, spaced side plates, each formed to provide a hollow box section, each having a substantially flat upper surface extending in the general plane of the car roof, a pair of hatch frames disposed one on each side of the ridge of the car roof, the walls of said hatch frames adjacent said side plates having outwardly disposed flanges resting upon and secured to said flat upper surfaces, vertically spaced structural members extending transverse- 4 1y of said roof secured to the sides of said hatch frames above and below the ridge portion of the roof, and a roof sheet covering the space between said hatch frames and located between said vertically spaced members below the roof.

5. In a railway car roof structure, spaced side plates, each formed to provide a hollow box sec tion, each having a substantially flat upper surface extending in the general plane of the car roof, a pair of hatch frames disposed one on each side of the ridge of the car roof, the walls of said} hatch frames adjacent said side plates secured to said side plates, and structural members extending transversely of said roof secured to the sides. or said hatdh frames above and below the ridge portion of the roof.

6 A roof structure as set forth in claim 3, said sides of said hatch frames having outwardly extending web portions disposed in a plane of the roof to form a seat for adjacent roof sheets.

7. A roof structure as set forth in claim 3, said structural members below the roof each having a flat upper surface pitched in substantially the planes of the roof to form a seat for the sides of a ridge roof sheet extending between said hatch frames, and for the sides of adjacent roof sheets.

8. A prefabricated rectangular hatch frame for railway car roofs, three contiguous sides of said hatch frame having flat surfaces issuing outwardly from the lower edges of said three sides, all of said surfaces being positioned in a general plane, the surfaces issuing from two opposite sides forming seats for the edges of adjacent roof sheets, and the surface issuing from the intermediate side adapted to rest upon and be secured to a side plate of the car roof structure, the lower margin of the remaining wall of said hatch frame extending below the plane of said flat surfaces.

JAMES S. SWANN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,225,170 Gilpin Dec. 17, 1940 2,239,511 West Apr. 22, 1941 2,250,523 Christiansen et a1. July 29, 1941 2,460,982 Gilpin Feb. 8, 1949 

